Question

You just bought a motorcycle for $8,000. You plan to ride the motorcycle for two years, and then sell it for $3,200. During this two-year period, you expect to ride the motorcycle 10,000 miles each year, and you expect the motorcycle to get 50 miles per gallon of gasoline. The annual cost of insurance is $960, registration costs are $80 (good for two years), and the price of gasoline is $2.50 per gallon. During this same two-year period, you will need to service your motorcycle five times, at $240 per service check, and obtain five oil changes. Each oil change costs $35. You will also need to replace your tires once during this two-year period, for a total cost of $400.
a. Calculate the total fixed cost, total variable cost, and cost per mile for the two-year period, .
b. Suppose you want to lower the cost per mile. You should focus on:
i. variable costs, because they represent a majority of the total costs.
ii. fixed costs, because they must be paid.
iii. variable costs, because they can be avoided.
iv. fixed costs, because they represent a majority of the total costs.

Answer 1

Answer:

Total fixed costs  = $6,800

b. Total variable cost = $2,775

c.  = $0.48 per mile

2. iii variable costs, because they can be avoided.

Explanation:

Fixed costs are costs that do not vary with output. e,g, rent, mortgage payments

If production is zero or if production is a million, Mortgage payments do not change - it remains the same no matter the level of output.  

Hourly wage costs and payments for production inputs are variable costs

Variable costs are costs that vary with production

If a producer decides not to produce any output, there would be no need to hire labour and thus no need to pay hourly wages.  

Depreciation + Insurance + cost of registration

Depreciation = Cost - salvage = 8,000 - 3,200 = $4,800

Insurance = 960 x 2 = 1920

Total fixed cost = 4,800 + 1920 + 80  = $6,800

Total variable cost

Gasoline + Service + Oil change + tire replacement

Gasoline = 10,000/ 50 = 2000 x 2.5 x 2 = 1000

= (1000 + (240 * 5) + (35 * 5) + 400

= 1,000 + 1,200 + 175 + 400  = $2,775

Total cost / Number of miles

= (6,800 + 2,775) / (10,000 * 2 years)

= $0.48 per mile